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` BOOKGASB. No. 567,003. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

UNITED vSTATES PATENT rricn.

VILLIAM M. POINDEXTER, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,003, dated September '1, 1896. Application iiled July 17, 1895. Serial No. 556,261. (N0 model-5 To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIA'M M. POINDEX- TER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bookcases and Appliances Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in part to the construction of bookcases or analogous struetures, the object being to provide a skeleton iireproof structure of cheap and durable construction Which may be readily extended laterally or vertically, as required. In carryingout this part of my invention I employ rectangular base and head portions, each consisting of four metallic strips joined together at the corners by angle connections or their equivalents and supported one above the other by means of vertical T-irons, having their tongues secured to the sides of these parts and their cross-heads lying parallel With the front and back. These T-irons form the uprights, upon which are mounted the shelf-supporting projections. Vhen it is desired to erect a stack of bookcases, the uprights are extended vertically at Will, While additional front and back pieces of the base and head portions are attached by additional angle-irons, as already described. My improved construction is Well adapted for the application of the form of shelf support covered by my Letters Patent No. 541,678, granted June 25, 1895, and in applying the mounting. for the movable supports in said patent the strips are inserted in the adjacent angles of the T-iron, While for the iixed supports the edges of the T-iron at the back are saW-kerfed to receive a series of metal tongues in proper location relative to the front support.

My invention further relates to improvements in book-supports for application to shelving for the purpose of supporting a roW of books at any point along the shelf or to divide up a row of books into sections and, in connection With my improved skeleton bookcase, to .iill the space at the ends of the shelves sufficiently to support the rouT of books, the object of this part of my invenv tion being to provide a construction Which Will embrace an edge or edges of the shelf and hold the supporting portion of the device easily adjustable on the shelf,but rigid against lateral pressure from the books, the construction being also such as not to occupy more space than is required for the thickness of thesupport and interposing no obstruction in front of the books which lie next to said support. This portion of my invention is carried out by having a suitable partition Which stands on edge across the shelf and has on one or Aboth of its ends ilat clamps Which conform to the edge and one or both surfaces of the shelf for the purpose of holding the partition. The clamp is susceptible of various modifications and may in some cases be provided With a binding-screw.

My invention therefore consists in certain novel features in the construction of the parts referred to, as Will hereinafter be fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying dra-Wings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bookcase constructed in accordance With my present invention and in which lateral extensions are broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Figs. 3 and -it are respectively a plan and a hori- Zontal section, the latter being in a plane just above the base. Fig. 5 is a perspective vieW illustrating the construction and relation ofv parts of one form of book-support. Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a similar form of support with slightly different details of construction. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of a similar form, illustrating a modification in the arrangement of binding-screw. 9, 10,11, and 12 represent modications in form of supports to be hereinafter referred to. Fig. 13 is a further modification.

My improved construction of bookcase is made up of a base 1, sides 2, and a head portion 3, each of which is in the form of a rectangular frame, the base and head portions being each made up of front and rear strips 4c and transverse strips 5, connected together by angle connections 6, While the sides of the bookcase are constructed of uprights 7, T

shape in cross-section and having the Webs of the T-iron secured to the transverse strips, While the iianges lie parallel with the front and back. The sides may be provided With additional bracing-strips 8 for stiffness.

Figs. 8,

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9 represents the shelving, and 10 are the front supports, carrying movable dogs 1l, the faces of which are shown in Fig. 2. These dogs may be of any suitable construction or such as shown in my Letters Patent No. 541,678, dated June 25, 1895. The rear supports lnay be conveniently made of tongues 12, of metal, inserted in saw-kerfs cut in the longitudinal flanges of the T-shaped uprights at distances apart corresponding to the movable dogs 10, or any other suitable form of fixed support may be employed. 13 represents the partitions or supports7 which may be applied to the shelving either in standing or depending position and which are held by clamps 14, which may vary in construction and which extend on one or both sides of the support, according to Whether the latter is to be used at one end or in an intermediate position on the shelf. The clamps are prefer ably attached to the supports through the medium of end strips 15.

In Figs. 8 and 9 and also in Figs. 11 and 12 are shown clamps embracing opposite edges of the shelf, and also on top and bottom of the same, except in Fig. 11, which embraces on bottom only, the grip being effected in this casein connection with the board or partition 13, which rests transversely against one side of the shelf. In each of these cases some movement of the clamp is required to free the support from the shelf. In Fig. 12 this is effected through the fiexibility of end pieces 15. In the other figures this is done by a binding-screw 17, which is combined with the clamp and partition, by providing it with a turning bearing in one of the parts and threading it into the other.

In Fig. 10 the clamps bear a fixed relation to the partition and disengagementis effected by sliding the partition transversely of the shelf, which is permitted by a space 16, between one of the clamps and the edge of the shelf until the short clamp at the opposite end is disengaged, when said opposite end is raised up and the device then moved in a direction opposite to the first movement until complete separation is effected.

In Figs. 8 and 9 it will be seen that a disengagement of the clamps sufficient to permit adjustment of the partition may be accomplished by simply loosening the screw 17, or the clamp may be entirely removed by turning the screw backward out of the partition 13, in which it is threaded, and removing one of the clamps, making sliding connection between a clamp 14 and the partition-board- The clamp is provided with a sliding block 18, having a reduced portion connecting it with the clamp, and the attaching-piece 15 is made in the form of a slotted rectangular tube, so as to form a T-slot 19, in which the sliding block 18 may engage. The partition 13 is likewise formed with a bead 24, which adapts the partition to receive the end piece 15- on its end and to slide therein if the block 18 is fixed or to remain stationary and to cause said block to slide if the parts are otherwise adjusted. In Fig. 6 is shown a T-groove strip 20, which is constructed on the same principle as the strips shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, and each of the clamps 14E (shown in Figs. 8 and 9) has an attaching-block 18, one being secured by stationary screw and the other by the adjusting-screw. Each of the adj Listing-screws has a turning bearing 21 engaging in one of the parts and a threaded bear ing 23 in the other. The turning bearing 21 may enter an openin g 22 in the block 18 and be threaded in the board, as shown in Figs. 5, 7, and 9, or the turning bearing may enter an opening 22, carried on the board, and the threaded bearing be formed in the block 18, as shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 5 the threaded bearing is formed in one of the internal ends 26 of a backing-strip 25, which is secured to the board 13 by the end piece 15, while the turning bearing 22 in Fig. 6 is formed on the end of a bottom strip 20, secured to the board, as shown.

In Fig. 13 I have shown an improved construction of T-shaped upright 7, whereby it is adapted to engage the mounting 10, which carries the front supports 11. In this form the standards 7 have flanges 27, extending parallel with the web of the upright and adapted to engage iiang'es 28, formed on the angle mounting 10 at suitable intervals. Clamps.29 are employed which engage iianges 28 on the opposite sides of the mountings 10 and serve to hold them securely against the web of the upright 7.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A bookcase comprising the rectangular base-frame consisting of front, back, and transverse strips, angle connections whereby the strips of the baseframe are joined together on the inner side of its corners, the rectangular head-frame consisting of front, back and transverse strips, angle connections whereby the strips of the head-frame are joined together on the inner side of the corners, and the T-uprights having inwardlyprojecting tongues and cross-heads fitting against the outer side of the corners of the base-frame and head-frame which are located wholly between the uprights; substantially as described.

2. The combination of the rectangular baseframe consisting of front, back and transverse strips, angle connections whereby the strips of the head-frame are joined together on the inner sides of its corners, the rectangular head-frame consisting of front, back, and transverse strips, angle connections whereby the strips of the head-frame are joined together on the inner side of its corners,th e T-uprights having inwardlyp`rojecting tongues and cross-heads fitting against the outer side of the corners of the base-frame and head-frame, the cross-heads of the uprights at the back being formed with saw- IOO IIO

kerfs, the tongues inserted in the saW-kerfs and providing supports at the back and the supports having movable dogs and located in the angles of the uprights at the front of the bookcase; substantially as described.

3. A bookcase comprising the rectangular base-frame consisting of front, back and transverse strips, the rectangular head-frame consisting of front, back and transverse strips, and the T-uprights consisting of in- Wardly projecting tongues, cross heads formed with anges extending parallel With the tongues, the angle mountings having flanges engaged by the anges on the crosspieces, clamps embracing the tongues and engaging the anges of the angle-mountings adjacent thereto, and suitable supporting-dogs; substantially as described.

4. In a book-support, the combination of al suitable partition having a bead, an end strip having a T-groove and embracing the bead, a clamp having a block, and a binding-screw turning in the block and into the bead; substantially as described.

5. In a book-support the combination of a suitable sustaining-piece having a grooved bead, an end strip having a T-groove adapted to receive said bead, a clamp also having connect'ion With said end strip and a bindingscrew adapted to adjust the clamp and the sustaining-piece relatively in the end strip as explained.

6. In a book-support the combination of a sustaining-piece, and a clamp formed With projections of similar T-shaped section, a metallic piece having a T-groove adapted to receive said projections, and permit them to move relatively to each other and a screw having a reduced neck; one of the 'projections being formed With a threaded bearing to receive the screw and the other being formed With an open turning bearing to receive the neck, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM M. POINDEXTER.

Witnesses:

FRED R. PRocroR, HUGH M. STERLING.- 

